Not since the days of elementary school have we really wondered about the distance of any planet. Although every now and then (when things get quiet at the office) it is possible to slip into a daydream about some interplanetary travel. We're pretty sure that's how Motion and Interaction Designer David Paliwoda came up with the idea to animate and calculate (in pixels) the Distance To Mars. What a brilliant way to show folks that the red planet is only twice the size of the Earth's moon and more than 428K pixels away.

 

With the global economy destabilizing and collapsing all over the place some digital engineers thought it'd be wise to create a digital form of currency that didn't rely so much on the faulty politics (and printing) of governments. The result is the Bitcoin, a form of algorithm-based currency that can be mined and exchanged digitally across The Internet. Sound too Sci-Fi to be true? Well just watch the following video and judge for yourself. Perhaps the future has indeed arrived...

The Guardian recently published an article about wiping away one's digital track record. The method involved deactivating popular social media accounts such as Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, etc. Then the article gets into more details about search engines, photos and forums where users have to apply a more direct approach towards getting rid of sensitive data, sometimes requiring reaching out to administrators of the sites. Read the entire article here. There's even a short video highlighting the process.

In case criminals or folks looking to stay off the law's radar needed any more proof that the authorities are indeed using social media to track offenders, DNA Info New York recently reported a case involving an unidentified assailant who was eventually tracked with the using photos stored on social media. The technological implications of the case reveal that authorities now have an extended Facebook (or any other social media network with pictures)-assisted photo bank ready and available for their search needs. Though we're not sure where constitutional rights and or Internet privacy stand here, the fact of the matter is that Facial Recognition Units are very real and becoming much more common in law enforcement. Would be criminals beware!

Meet Koongoshad. For lack of a better description we're just going to call him one of our favorite Middle Eastern Tumblr buddies. Thing is, we really don't know anything about him except that he's obviously an artist (print focused to be exact), he's Middle Eastern (As the content on his fine page shows) and he sure knows how to curate some gnarly content that combines the historical, political and progressive sensibilities of his part of the world. And so we'd like to share his Tumblr page with you. Enjoy!

 

PBS's Off Book web series continues to drop non-stop knowledge on us. In one of their recent episodes they explore The Art of Web Design--a 7-minute long short about the history of the web and why and how websites operate. Not only that, but they also cover the user-experience and accessibility element that has pretty much single-handedly allowed for the boom in streaming content and digital media. Take some time to peep this one, strongly recommended for all of our tech readers!

Sometimes social media just makes everything so inviting and acceptable without any room for a "dislike" button. Well we're tired of it and so are the folks over at Hater App Inc. Built for iOS, their Hater program allows users to post and share things that they hate. Celebrities, trends, traffic, you name it! Download it here.

Google delves into the world of re-imagined advertising with their new venture, Art, Copy & Code. The project's premise is to focus on the art of creating ideas for the interconnected age of technology, data and the consumer. One of the first "experiments" attached to the "ACC" boat is the Google+ x Adidas Talking Shoe. Think workout meets Knight Rider. You know, like the talking car. Check it out!

Former Valve Corporation (Half-Life) creative, Leonard Menchiari, is introducing the world to his latest video game gem, Riot. Meant for iOS and Android phones, the unique chaos simulator actually lives up to its name. The premise is for the player to take sides between rioters and the authorities trying to stamp them out. Animated in 2D, full of all kinds of sprite-based visual effects and an insane engine make it no secret as to why the project's Indiegogo page has received more than double the goal amount, $30K!

Code.org is a non-profit foundation dedicated to expanding the educational reach of computer programming. Students can sign up to learn and teachers can sign up to bring coding to their own schools. It's no secret that the past decade of technological advancement owes much of its success to the brilliant coding of some of the world's most successful entrepreneurs. Code.org knows the drill and that's why they hired a stellar cast of programming wizards like Mark Zuckerberg, tycoons like Bill Gates and even all-star athletes like Chris Bosh to share their coding stories.